Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges

[Daft Old Cat]

BBC News - Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges






Lance Armstrong retired from professional cycling in 2011

US cycling star Lance Armstrong has announced he will no longer fight drug charges from the US anti-doping agency, ahead of a Friday deadline.
In a statement, the 40-year-old maintains he is innocent, but says he is weary of the "nonsense" accusations.
The US anti-doping agency (USADA) now says it will ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.
Armstrong retired from professional sport in 2011.
USADA alleges he used banned substances as far back as 1996, including the blood-booster EPO, steroid and blood transfusions.
Armstrong sued in federal court to block the charges but lost.
'Heartbreaking' case "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," Armstrong said in the statement.
"I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999.
"Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's [USADA's chief executive] unconstitutional witch hunt.
"The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense."
Lance Armstrong factfile

• Born: Plano, Texas
• Teams: Motorola, Cofidis, US Postal, Discovery Channel, Livestrong, Astana, Team RadioShack
• Tour de France: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (22 individual stage wins)
• World Championships road race: 1993

Armstrong had been given until 06:00 GMT on Friday to decide whether to continue fighting the USADA charges.
The agency has said that 10 of Armstrong's former teammates are prepared to testify against him.
The cyclist has accused USADA of offering "corrupt inducements" to other riders.
USADA also accuses Armstrong of being a "ring-leader" of systematic doping on his Tour de France winning teams.
Mr Tygart said shortly after Armstrong's statement that his agency would ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his titles, according to AP.
The chief executive described the case as a "heartbreaking" example of a win-at-all costs approach to sports.
However, Armstrong disputed that the USADA has the power to take away his titles.
"USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges," his statement said.
The cycling governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) - which had backed Armstrong's challenge to challenge USADA's authority - has so far made no public comments on the latest developments.
Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer prior to his record-breaking Tour wins, retired after the 2005 Tour de France but made a comeback in 2009.
He retired for a second time in February 2011.
He now says he will be focusing on the work with his cancer charity.

[The Big Fella]

A sad end to a brilliant career. I can understand his point though. I suppose we will never know whether he did or didn't take drugs now.

[alitongkat]

its logical consequence and correct that he looses his TDF-titles, but its also true, that all the other ones (which made it somewhere into the ranks) were doped, too...

[VocalNeal]

What the fcuk has a US anti doping agency got to do with medals handed out by the French. Idiots.
Just some fcuked up litigator who has no life and is trying to make one for himself.

[ltnt]

^ The French cycling organization couldn't make it stick so the American cycling organization kept at it. the drug tests were conclusive that he was not doping, however after years of cross tests and re-tests, harassment, legal attacks and defences they came up with something unknown as proof that Armstrong doped.

If you mean did he dope to long, yes. did they catch him with his hand in the jar of steroids, no. Was his piss tinged the "stuff?" We don't know.

The real question is: In the period of Armstrong's dominance, 7 French titles, unheard of durability for a bike rider, was he doping? Or were his competition over that 7 title period just that bad?

I watched the first three, but after that it was pretty apparent that something was not quite right about the entire cycling brotherhood.

I was an avid bicyclist over a four year period and rode daily 25 miles through country roads in Northern California. I think as exercise and personal enjoyment go nothing I've found can compare. Perhaps Armstrong lost his love for the sport and took it to seriously and translated it into cash flow. He survived testicular cancer and still came back to win the Tour de France. Quite an amazing feat even doped.

As hero's of sport go, perhaps you need to think about who is teaching your kids, being their coach, how many doctors are helping your community and who is taking out the trash from your neighborhoods.

Me, I quit biking.

[larvidchr]

If it is true they have 10 old team-mates willing to testify against Armstrong it sure don't look good, and since he folded it looks even worse.

The conclusion must be that he probably was using doping.

Thing is that unless the UCI and others completely ignore this it is not going to stop here, there could be paying back all the prize money etc. etc.

And of-cause others was using doping at the time as well and some have been punished and have lost titles, that others cheated is unfortunately for Armstrong a real poor defence at the best of times.

They should have drawn a line in the sand a good while back in recognition that the whole sport at the time was rotten, and then done the cleaning up from then on and forward.

Watching those races back then was tremendous entertainment and for that Armstrong have my personal thanks, those good hours can't really be ruined so many years after the fact, for me that is.

But I'm not really sorry today for Armstrong and that he gets nailed since things are as they are, and cheaters can be caught even decades after the fact.

[ltnt]

More he said she said, no chemicals to show. Simply unsupported unscientific accusations wouldn't you say? I can call you out verbally which has been the case with Armstrong and a whole slew of naysayer's but actually having the "cream," or what you call it, no. Nobodies got the scientific proof.

Good move Armstrong. Now we have nothing but other bicyclists who say he was doping. Easy to say, harder to prove.

I personally hope they prove beyond any doubt that he was doping or that he was not.

[Patrick]

I am not a great fan of Cycling so have only occasionally watched this situation develop over several years as a disinterested observer.

That established: I have seen NO evidence that Armstrong tested positive for any banned substance - despite enduring possibly one of the most individually targeted and rigorous testing regimes of any athlete in his particular Sport.

Have I missed something?

Patrick

[Norton]

I personally hope they prove beyond any doubt that he was doping or that he was not.

Doubt we'll ever know. Case closed.

[Necron99]

Wow, he has balls.

Wait,no he doesn't....

[ltnt]

^^Case wide open and spinning in its own tracks.

[Mid]

The conclusion must be that he probably was using doping.

Lars , you are normally better than this

[Mid]

I have seen NO evidence that Armstrong tested positive for any banned substance - despite enduring possibly one of the most individually targeted and rigorous testing regimes of any athlete in his particular Sport. Have I missed something?

wot he said

[Gerbil]

Bradley Wiggins must be shitting himself. The frogs will be after him next, so he can look forward to a decade of harassment whether he's done anything wrong or not.

[Mid]

[Loy Toy]

Armstrong's decision to abandon his fight to clear his name will not only ruin his reputation for life but also be seen by most as an admission of guilt.

He beat the best road racers in the world, he beat cancer when most doctors considered his condition hopeless but it seems the US anti-doping agency has beat him down.

A disappointing end to what could have been a brilliant, legendary career.

[Mid]

Armstrong's decision to abandon his fight to clear his name will not only ruin his reputation for life but also be seen by most as an admission of guilt.

not if you are prepared to examine his reasons why .


Enough is enough: Lance Armstrong's statement in full
Fri 24 Aug 2012


Lance Armstrong
(File pic)

Lance Armstrong today released a statement saying he would not fight the doping charges levelled at him by US Anti-Doping Agency. However, he maintains this is not an admission of guilt. Read the full statement below.


The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced.

Lance Armstrong


”There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough’. For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.

"I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

"If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colours. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?

"From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADA’s improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADA’s own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process. USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honour its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.

"The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.

"USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.

"Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet."

sbs.com.au

[Rural Surin]

its logical consequence and correct that he looses his TDF-titles, but its also true, that all the other ones (which made it somewhere into the ranks) were doped, too...

With that being said, do the US authorities have the power to resign the awards that were won primarily overseas [doping or not]?

Unless an "international" governing bicycling body/federation were in agreement with such findings and concluded findings similar - than these American "legalities" are all quite moot.

[Loy Toy]

not if you are prepared to examine his reasons why .

I am disappointed he gave up his fight even when he clearly expressed his innocence from day one mate.

I refer to the " The Dingo's got my baby Case" and that family fought for decades to achieve their ethical goal.

As with most sports you're only as good as your last race and Armstrong went out as a loser IMHO.

[robuzo]

Poor Lance, he's just not pure enough. How silly.

[Butterfly]

What the fcuk has a US anti doping agency got to do with medals handed out by the French. Idiots.

indeed, quite strange

I suppose we will never know whether he did or didn't take drugs now.

he did take the drugs, he got caught by the French for it, but since everyone was doing it, they turned a blind eye

now why is a US organization being involved in this ? was he also taking drugs for training while he was in the US ?

[Butterfly]

when he clearly expressed his innocence from day one mate.

he wasn't innocent, that's the problem. But that US organization going after him is vicious. It was good to have LA in the Tour de France

[Norton]

they turned a blind eye

Why? because

It was good to have LA in the Tour de France

[DrAndy]

If it is true they have 10 old team-mates willing to testify against Armstrong it sure don't look good, and since he folded it looks even worse.

I think that was what they had, witnesses from his old team mates, who were no doubt making deals to avoid prosecution

the drug tests were all clean; as is well known, if you have a good doping doc then any drugs you take can be masked in the tests

the recent Olympics had some typical examples of this

[Rural Surin]

Remember the good old days when issues and questions regarding performance enhancing substances within the athletic/sporting worlds wasn't a political items.

The old-timer sporting types were probably of a different character and excelled in a greater capacity.